Hinge-lock.



S. H. GAGE.

N HINGE LOCK. M APPLICATION man FEB. 10. I915.

1,226,324. Patented May15,1917.

Witnesses I !nv.en"0r.

,0 5 Seth H.Gage, Y fymd WMW UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SETH Bi. GAGE, on :A'MESBUBY, MASSACHUSETTS, AssIGN'oR or o'NE-HALF T FREDERICK H. ROWE, OF LYN1\I,, 'MASSACHUSETTS.

HINGE-Th0 I Specification of Letters Patent. 4 PatentedMay 15, 1917- Application' filed February 10, 1915. Serial No. 7,861.

To all whom may concern:

Be it known that I, SETH H. GAGE, a'ci'tizen of the United States, residing atAmesbury, county of Essex, State of, Massap h usetts, have invented an Improvement in Hinge-Locks, of which the following de scription, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to hinge locks. More particularly does it involve an autoinetically or self-locking binge.

bait is obvious that this hinge lock rs utilities and that this invention bodied in different adaptions, it useful in connection with p t. motor and other vehicle tops. i .i aces or vehicle tops, which of necesin modern usage must be foldable, have e. tendency to .seg'at the hinged folds. And,

in the endeavor to overcome this objection, 1&110118 combinations comprising pulleys and cords, buckles and straps, non-flexible supports end sockets therefor, have been cvolve( to efiieet the rigid retention of these top braces. These devices have proved more or il'y disengaged.

iesseiiicicnt, but through the trend-0f manufacturers to produce what are known in the motor vehicle trade as one-man tops, these devices are ineffective and cannot be efiiciently employed, It is therefore requisite that in construction a hinge be employed which may be easily opened and will autoi neticeliy lock in rigid openposition and, further, it is essential that the lock be eas The object ofis to produce aself-acting lock for a hinge, adapted rigidly to retain the hinge in locked open position and capable of facile and simple disengagement.

Other objects of the invention will more fully appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings and will.

be pointed out in the annexed claims.

A selected embodiment ofthe look as efiixed to a common type of hinge has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will now be described.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the hinge lock in semi-open unlocked position, showing a plurality of central slots in dotted lines;

this improved construction Fig. 2 is a perspective of the hinge lock 1I1 0P6I1 locked position;

Fig. 3 is a, plan of the View shown in Fig.

l with the trigger and spring removed Fig. 4 is a perspective of the trigger. The hinge is composed of two hinge memhers 1 and2. One member 1 is formed with a pair of opposed ears 3, 3 preferably integral with its bodyv portion and, solely for the purpose offacility in description, this me'mher 1 is referred to as the relatively fixed" member. These ears are formed offset from the portion 4. The other hinge member 2 bears at its end portion 5, and preferably" integral therewith, a single similaroflfset ear (3.v These ears are all centrally 'bored and pintle 7,'the single ear being embraced by the pair of ears. The fixed member has cut therein, at its end and between the opposed ears, a channel 8 which formsa runway for the single ear (5, permitting ease of rotation about the pintle. The end of the other hinge member 2 is arcuately cut away on both sides adjacent to the single ear and a oath 9 is thus presented for facile movement of this relatively movable hinge member 2.

about the periphery of the double ears.

The peripheries of the twin opposed ears carried by the member 1 have transverse slots 10 cut therein which are in alinement and are adjacent the shoulder 11 of this member. .The ear 6 of the member 2 has a peripherallytransverse slot 12 out therein adjacent its shoulder 13 so that when the hinge members are alined in substantially the same horizontal plane as shown in Fig.

are pivotallysecured by means ofa suitable 2, the slots in the twinears and the slot 'l2- are in transverse registry. The single earv 6 may also have, as shown in this selected embodiment, a'plurality of similar peripheral slots 1% and 15, whereby the hinge may be locked in diversified positions.

As the petriphcral slots inthe'twin earsembodiment, of a piece of flat strip spring steel the rear portion of which is secured to the hinge member 1 by means of a screw 17 engaging a threaded recess 18 bored therein. The forward portion of the spring 16 preferably strengthened by folding the strip upon itself, rendering it a better re sistant to sheering s ress, forms the latch 19. This reinforced portion or latch is of such length and is bent at such an angle as will allow its seating in the locking slot formed by the transverse alinement of any three peripheral slot-s. Such spring steel stock is preferably employed as will, when doubled. substantially completely occupy the locking slot. The reinforced latch when in normal locked position in registering slots forms an intermediary against which, when the hinge members are in open or alined position, the shoulders 11 and 13 of the hinge members 2 and 1 may impinge-thus functioning to prevent the hinge members from swinging beyond substantially horizontal alinement on the side opposite the ears.

A simple and effectual means is provided for manually unlocking the hinge members which, in this preferred form, consists of an eccentric stud .20. The body portion of this stud is of a configuration substantially lunate in cross section having a curved face 91 and a flat face .22. One end of the stud terminates in a flattened head 23 while the other has, preferably integral therewith, a handle or trigger 24.

This eccentric stud is adapted normally to seat in the arcuate depression 27 in the hinge member 1 adjacent its shoulder- 11. In this normal or locked position the curved face 21 of the stud fits in the depression 2-? while its fiat face 22 is presented to the spring 16. The tension of the s)ril1g effcctuates the retention of the stlu in such position as well as the retention of the reinforced latch portion in engagement with the locking slot. The trigger 24 has .a tip 26 which is bent and extends over the surface of the spring.

As embodied in motor vehicle one-man top nstruction this improved hinge has only one transverse slot 12, on its single ear (3. Thus, in operation, when it is desired to unlock the hinge. the trigger tip 26 is pressed down upon the surface of the spring, and the stud is partially rotated. This rotatory movement ett'ectuates the lifting of the latch member against the tension of the spring. The latch inember being lifted from engagement with the locking slot the hinge may be broken or turned. The latch i nember then is upheld out of rei ngagcment with the transverse slots 10 in the twm cars t-s' by the unslotted circumference of the ear (3 embraced between the two cars. The latch single car as the hinge is turnedsalways under tension of the spring tending to force it thereupon. The stud is then seated loosely in the depression but is retained against lateral movement by the flat head 23 and the trigger arm. The hinge members can in this form be completely turned back upon each other and form a compact flush and spaceeconomizing fold.

When it is desired to secure the hinge members in unfolded and locked position, the hinge members are opened, the latch member again travels over the periphery of the single car until the three transverse slots register, forming the locking slot, into which the latch member drops under the tension of the spring member. The spring member. which was held above the eccentric stud again presses thereupon, forcing itinto normal seated position ready for manually effected unlocking.

It is to be noted that the trigger is bent over the surface of the spring. This construction is preferred as the relation of the travel of the trigger before its tip 26 impinges upon the surface of the spring and the degree of movement imparted to the cam surface of the eccentric stud may be so made that the stud can not be turned to such position that it will become wedged or jammed and its automatic re-seating in normal inoperative position in the depression be hindered.

This novel hinge lock is also adapted for use in connection with wind shields and'such devices where it is essential to have a hinge adapted to lock automatically in a plurality of positions. In such construction the requi site number of transverse peripheral slots are cut in the single ear 6. In the embodi ment selected, such slots 14 and 15 are shown. In the operation of this construction, the trigger is depressed from normal locked position, the latch, raised from the locking slot formed by the registry of the twin ear slots 10 and the slot 12, then travels 11o upon the circumference of the ear 6 until the slot 14, transversely alincd with the slots 10, forms another locking slot into which the latch is forced by the spring 16.

There is thus produced a novel self-acting hinge lock of few parts, which is ctiicient. durable, inexpensive to manufacture and is of the greatest simplicity of operation.

It is to be understood that the construction disclosed herein is merely illustrative and not restrictive and that the same may be modified within the meaning and scope of the claims which follow.

' Having fully described my invention. what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A hinge lock comprising a pair of shouldered members having ivotally connected ears, cooperating locking means on each of said cars, and a resilient locking eral alined slots and said centrally disposed ear being peripherally slotted, pivotal means conneetmg'said ears whereby upon relative movement between the pair of ears and the ventral ear all slots may be alined, and locking means movable simultaneously to engage all slots when in alinement.

3. A hinge lock comprising a pair of members having pivotally connected ears,

peripheral locking means on said ears, and a resilient locking member L-shaped in form having a shorter arm folded upon itself to reinforce and stiffen the same, said' shorter arm being adapted simultaneously to engage said locking means whereby the hinge is locked.

4. A hinge lock comprising a pair of members having pivotally connected ears, peripheral locking means on said cars, a strip spring on one at said members having a bent stiffened portion adapted simultaneously to have tensioned locking engagement with said locking means.

5. A hinge lock comprising a pair of members having pivotally connected cars, a leaf spring secured to one of said members, a latch segment formed by an integral bent portion of said spring and means on said ears adapted to receive said latch segment whereby sald hinge members may be simultaneously engaged.

6. A hinge lock comprising a air of members having pivotally connected ears having peripheral transverse slots therein a leaf spring secured to one of said members, and having a reinforced integral latch portion adapted under tension to engage alined slots in said ears.

7. A hinge lock comprising a pair of members having pivotally connected ears havin peripheral transverse slots therein, aresi ient element carried by one of said members, a latching means on said element to engage said slots when transversely alined, said element-carrying member being recessed, an eccentric movably seated in said recess normally out of ope 'able engagement with the resihent element, and movable to disengage the latching means from the slots.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my' name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

, SETH H. GAGE.

Witnesses:

MARY J. GAGE, Gnonon T. WILLIAMS. 

